Last year was easy for my daughter as she had recently become a police officer and there was plenty of gear that we could get her. My son recently got a Lego table that I built myself. And then he got a Lego kit. This year I’m thinking of getting them both some kind of box subscription for a few months. You know, a gift that keeps on giving like Omaha Steaks. A Harry Potter themed one for the girl and WWE one for the boy.
Yes, I did say they were 30. They like what they like, the nerds.
Anyway, two questions that aren’t really that related:
I’ve never done a box subscription before. Any advice? Reputable companies? First hand experiences?
What kinds of presents do you get from you parents and what do you give to your grown children?
My parents are practical, so it has always been stuff that was needed or wanted but no money to buy.
Now, I got married at 22 and we had our own house. But one year, they got us a 25" TV (This was in '92, so not as bad as it seems). We have gotten a dryer, a stove, etc. early on.
As we have advanced in our careers and our kids have grown (21 and 18), they get more stuff and we get tennis shoes or money.
I personally like power tools, so a good cordless drill or driver, or sander, or anything from Home Depot.
Mine children are not quite adults, but it is getting harder to know what to get them. We have gotten a car stereo for the oldest for her car. The oldest is wanting her first house, so maybe we get something for that. The youngest is going to be heading to college August 2018, so we may give her stuff for college. Not exactly sure yet.
They both get clothes or money for clothes from their grandparents.
Yes, what they ask for, obviously. My entire adult life I’ve been asked to provide a wishlist on Thanksgiving day. My parents (well, now just my dad) have always provided them to kid bro and I too.
I asked my mother to send a check written out to “Al’s Stamp and Coin” … she loved the idea …
I send Wal-Mart gift cards to my adult children … for birthdays I send stupid books, so they always have something to send me on my birthday … The Rainbow Unicorn from the Uttermost West has made about a half dozen cross-country trips by now …
Don’t do what my mother does, which is buy a bunch of clothes from Steinmart. I ain’t got nothing against the store, but I’m simply not in the demographic that wears tops with sequins and jeans adorned in rhinestones and leopard-print everything. Maybe that time will come, but it hasn’t arrived yet.
I wish my parents would just give me a whole bunch of toiletries instead of clothes I’m not going to wear. Food would also be good, because I will eat just about anything.
My daughter advises me on what my son wants/needs. The past couple of years it’s been cash.
My daughter’s boyfriend/fiancé tells me what she’d like. Last year it was a keurig coffee maker and an assortment of coffees. She didn’t remember talking with me about her coffee situation, so I gained some cred.
I quit giving Christmas gifts to my kids when they ceased being kids. My wife and I don’t even exchange gifts. Stressless holidays; you should give it a shot.
Gift cards and cash. Lil’wrekkers list is always long and detailed, she leaves nothing to speculate about. My older 2 just roll their eyes as she parades around bragging about what she got. Have I mentioned she is spoiled. Lucky for me she’s not bratty about it. She is a lovely girl that we all prize, even her sibs, though they pretend not to!
Try having an adult kid who lives in a tiny apartment in Hong Kong.
Things we’ve given - kitchen utensils and good cooking implements. Subscriptions. Useful stuff for their computers. Video games. My older daughter likes economics books from before WW II - some years we’ve found some for her.
And she and her husband both get Lego advent calendars - City ones, not Star Wars. Lego seems to have made enough this year - last year I had to get them on Amazon since they ran out at the site. I even saw them in the Lego store a few days ago.
In our Christmas gifts come from everyone, so there is no stress about who bought who more. We also go for quantity, so cheap gifts from thrift stores are perfectly fine, and we brag about who paid the least. My wife and I went thrift store shopping a few days ago and each bought stuff which we’ll wrap up for each other.
Both our sons-in-law are converted to our way of doing Christmas.
This year our grandson who will be 20 months will be getting most of the stuff.
My youngest nephews were home from college last time I saw them at Christmas. I gave them stuff from Think Geek; Smart Mass, to be exact. Which has stopped being sold.
Consumables. Gatopescado’s suggestion is a good one, although perhaps Christmas Eve after any little ones have gone to sleep (and they’re more apt to share). Gourmet food and gift cards for same. I’d go so far as gift cards for consumables only such as movie passes. I’m also fond of charitable donations in their name in conjunction with the above.
All this especially after grandkids enter their teens. Their wants get more expensive, and parents’ space and needs gets smaller.
Of course all this assumes some level of middle-class standing. By all means do what you can to help struggling kids.
Gourmet food, restaurant gift cards, anything they ask for. Socks–really nice socks. Money toward travel. I have a family member who’s been requesting gift cards for a couple of years toward buying a new washer/dryer set.
My older son, now 35, has been notoriously difficult to buy for since he hit about 25. We have developed an unspoken agreement. He orders something he wants and has it shipped to me. I wrap the item and put the cost, in cash, in an envelope and give it to him along with the gift. Neither his wife nor 2 children have a clue. In facr, my DIL has asked me how I always know exactly what he wants.
My 2nd son, 33, has two very young kids - almost 3 and 18 months. This year he is getting a gift certificate to a babysitting service in their area and a gift card for the local movie tavern so they can have a rare adults night out.
I’d add say that in general one shouldn’t give as gifts clothing that couldn’t easily be returned. I’ve received things that I liked well enough but were the wrong size, and the giver didn’t include a gift receipt and/or got them from a store with no locations anywhere near me.
